End of Season Trout

The fishing season on the majority of rivers and streams in southern Alberta will come to a close after tomorrow, October 31st. This means there’s only one more day left, where you will be able to whet a line in these waters. Beginning November 1st, you will have to wait until next June, before you will be able to visit these streams again. There are a couple of exceptions, though, as portions of the Crowsnest River (downstream of the East Hillcrest Bridge) and the Oldman River (downstream of the Oldman Dam) remain open to fishing during the winter months.

I wanted to fish a stretch of the Crowsnest River upstream of Hillcrest before it closes for the season and spent a few hours on the water this afternoon. There were no other anglers about, at least not where I was fishing. I noticed a few caddis flies in the air, but there wasn’t any dry-fly action to speak of. The trout were quite active anyway, and eager to take my bead-head nymph patterns drifting along the stream bottom. Fishing was productive and steady right from the start, and it was almost as if the trout were in a hurry to pack on a few more calories before winter. They were all plump and in great condition. I had a difficult time leaving at the end of the day. Oh well, there’s still some fishing to be had, between now and next June.